Archive Magazine CD 1995/Archive Magazine CD 1995.iso/discs/pipeline/abacus/p_line/History/ReadMe

Text File | 1994-04-17 | 13.3 KB | 274 lines

%OP%VS4.13 (28-Apr-92), Gerald L Fitton, R4000 5966 9904 9938
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%OP%PDPipeLine
%OP%WC1014,2258,128,1748,0,0,0,0
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%C%The Origins and the Future of PipeLine and ZLine
%C%by Gerald L Fitton
Keywords:
ZLine PipeLine PipeDream Fireworkz Fitton

Introduction

In this article I bring our 'History' up to date and look to the future
of the PipeLine and ZLine user groups.


The PipeLine Column

In the days of the BBC micro and later with an Acorn Master I used to
be a Wordwise Plus and Viewsheet user.  In 1987 I bought one of the
earliest Archimedes 440s and looked around for a better word processor
and spreadsheet in vain.  I have subscribed to Paul Beverley's Archive
magazine for Archimedes users from its first issue in 1987 and, in
those early days, I wrote quite a few technical articles for him such
as BASIC programs, a screendump module, a series on the use of the
debugger, and another on using SYStem calls.  For those of you who are
not Archive readers, but might want to be, Archive is published by
Norwich Computer Services, 96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich NR2 2SD - why
not ask NCS for information and, perhaps, a sample copy?

It was through Archive that I first heard of PipeDream - in June 1988
Paul Beverley asked me to write a review of it.  From the first day I
used PipeDream 2 (which ran under the old Arthur operating system) I
knew this was the integrated package I had been looking for.

There had been (and still is) a PipeDream 1 which is used on the Beeb
(it's called View Professional) and there is a version of PipeDream
similar to PipeDream 2 which runs on the Z88 (Cambridge Computers).
There is yet another version of PipeDream 2 which runs in the MS DOS
environment on PCs.  Colton Software have a history of 'porting' their
software across many machines and my guess is that we haven't seen the
last of their multi machine packages.

It was on the 21st July 1989 at the Acorn User Show that Colton
Software launched the multi-tasking, RISC OS 2 version which they
called PipeDream 3; I upgraded and haven't looked back!  In June 1989 I
offered to write a monthly column for PipeDream users in Paul's Archive
magazine.  I called the column PipeLine and it first appeared in the
October 1989 issue.  As a result of writing that monthly column I
established a good working relationship with and received a great deal
of support from all members of the team at Colton Software.

I found that many Archive readers wrote to me with their problems.
The flow of letters has increased.  If I can give an answer I do, but,
if neither I nor other readers can help then I pass the problem onto
Colton Software.  From the very start I found them most helpful and now
I send many technical questions (the ones that I can't answer) to them
directly.  Often when I send them a question by fax I receive a reply
in time to send out my reply the same day.

In addition to PipeDream users I found that I was receiving letters
from readers of the PipeLine column who did not have PipeDream but were
interested in the more general comments I made in the magazine.  Over
the years this non PipeDream readership has increased and allowed me to
do something I wanted to do from the start, to generalise the nature of
the articles in the PipeLine column.

As most readers of Archive know, all contributors to the magazine give
their services free.  I enjoy writing the articles and I enjoy the
letters, problems, solutions, hints and tips that I receive in return
but, over the first year of doing this, expenses mounted up.  Those
expenses were not only postage but often I decided that the easiest way
of helping someone solve a problem was for me to send them one of my
discs with an example on it.  Nearly everybody returned these discs but
inevitably some got lost along the way.


The PipeLine Discs

In May 1990 Robert Macmillan (of Colton Software) suggested that many
other users of PipeDream who didn't take the Archive magazine might
benefit from receiving the information contained in the magazine
column.  He suggested that I should make it available to a wider
readership.  I realised that the column in the magazine was getting
embarrassingly long and it wasn't possible to get all the disc files I
received on the Archive monthly disc.

Paul Beverley (the owner of the Archive magazine) agreed and I knew I
could rely on Colton Software for Technical support.  So, after
thinking about the options I decided to produce a quarterly disc and
charge for it.  This income would balance the books, allow me to
continue writing the articles for Archive (which I enjoy) and provide
for the inevitable expenses of answering reader's questions.  Also I
hoped to make some profit to pay for my time!

The first PipeLine disc was issued in July 1990.  The magazine articles
still have their place for (short) hints and tips, news, problems and
their solutions.  At the same time as starting up the PipeLine discs I
took the opportunity to broaden still further the scope of the PipeLine
articles for Archive and to expand on those articles on the PipeLine
discs where I had full editorial control!

In contrast to the short hints of the Archive PipeLine column, the
PipeLine discs contain more substantial applications, particularly
those that benefit by the inclusion of disc files as examples.  The
PipeLine discs make it easier to include (in much more detail than
possible in a magazine column) worked examples and fully illustrated
tutorials.  The various series on using PipeDream as a spreadsheet,
database and as a word processor which are intended for beginners have
been well received.


The PipeLine User Group

PipeLine was born.  It has been, and still is, a success!  Although
originally I did not intend PipeLine to be a PipeDream user group it
became one almost immediately.  This was because the contributions and
comments from PipeDream users which have helped PipeLine to become so
successful streamed in.

From the start of PipeLine I never intended (and it never was the case)
that the PipeLine discs should contain only those articles which relate
to the use of PipeDream.  However, in response to suggestions from our
subscribers, in 1992 we deliberately increased the proportion of
articles about the general use of the Archimedes.  We also included
more about the packages we all have in common (such as RISC OS, !Paint,
!Edit, etc) and problems of general interest (such as booting,
printing, fonts, etc).  I am pleased that this side of the PipeLine
discs is growing and is well supported.


The PipeLine 3 - PipeLine 4 Split

Colton Software launched PipeDream 4 at the Acorn User Show on the
11th October 1991.  PipeDream 4 contained many interesting new
features not in PipeDream 3.  Applications which use those features
will not run in PipeDream 3.  There are a few applications created in
PipeDream 3 which need modification before they will run in
PipeDream 4.  I also found that many of the instructions I had given
about the use of the function keys were wrong because PipeDream 4 had
new function key layout.  However, most of all, I could see that many
of the instructions in the tutorials could be greatly simplified (or
improved in other ways) and it would be wrong to recommend the 'old'
PipeDream 3 techniques.

As a result we decided to 'split' PipeLine into separate PipeLine 3 and
PipeLine 4 disc series.  It was always intended that this would be a
temporary measure until the differences between PipeDream 3 and
PipeDream 4 became clear to all users.  Furthermore, I had in mind that
PipeDream 3 users would either upgrade to PipeDream 4 or they might
grow tired of either PipeDream 3 or PipeLine.  Also, I couldn't see
Colton Software resting on the laurels of PipeDream 4 - maybe something
like PipeDream 5 might appear which would be attractive to PipeDream 3
users who could 'leap frog' over PipeDream 4 to the new package.  With
the launch of what I originally called 'The Z Set', and has now been
released as Fireworkz, this last possibility has become a reality.  I
have been surprised at the number of PipeDream 3 users who are taking
advantage of the special price offer from Colton Software to registered
PipeDream users converting to Fireworkz.


The Merger

The last PipeLine 3 disc exclusively for PipeDream 3 users was issued
in April 1993.  Similarly the May 1993 disc was the last PipeLine 4
disc.  The first of the new 'merged' PipeLine discs was the August 1993
'merged' PipeLine disc.  The 'merged' PipeLine series will contain some
applications which will run only with PipeDream 4 but there will be
much of general interest as well.


The Future of PipeLine

The reduction in the price of PipeDream 4 has resulted in a surge in
the number of new PipeDream users asking for help and advice and
wanting to join the PipeLine user group.  From my correspondence it
seems that those of you who didn't buy PipeDream before were put off by
the price rather than the specification but, at the new price, you now
believe that it's good value for money and much cheaper than Fireworkz.

However, something else has happened.  Mark Colton has assured me that
not only will they continue to support PipeDream 4 but that there will
be an upgrade from the current version (today is the 5th February 1994
and as I write the latest version is V 4.13).  What I don't know is
whether this will be V 4.2 or PipeDream 5; nor do I know whether the
upgrade will be free or whether there will be a charge.  What I think
is important is that this surge of interest interest in PipeDream
augers well for the future of PipeLine.

So far as your subscription to PipeLine is concerned, at any time you
may 'convert' forward orders for PipeLine discs to ZLine discs.  This
offer will continue into the foreseeable future.  Something I didn't
foresee is the number of ZLine subscribers who are asking for the
remainder of their subscriptions to be 'converted' to one for PipeLine.
It seems that many of you prefer PipeDream to Fireworkz if only for the
character printing option and the key shortcuts.


The ZLine User Group

At the BETT Show on the 20th January 1993 Colton Software launched the
first of a new series of packages which they have called Fireworkz.
The first package of the series is a word processor called Wordz.  The
second is a spreadsheet called Resultz - its specification contains
all the spreadsheet features of PipeDream 4 (charts, custom functions,
intelligent background calculation, etc).  The third is a database
called Recordz.  Later there will be other 'units' which can be added
to the Fireworkz 'shell'.

We were given advance warning of the launch of Wordz and the philosophy
of Fireworkz.  Colton Software encouraged us to provide the same sort
of support for Fireworkz as we have done for PipeDream.  We were only
too pleased to be offered the opportunity.  Hence ZLine was born!

A year later at the 1994 BETT Show Colton Software demonstrated their
PC Windows version of Fireworkz.  I'd like to know your views of the
likelihood of its success.


What is Fireworkz?

Fireworkz is a 'shell' into which you can load Wordz, Resultz or
Recordz or any combination of the three.  If you have Resultz and Wordz
then you will need Fireworkz to fully integrate the two into a single
package.  When you do this you will get one icon on the icon bar and a
package which will accept both Wordz and Resultz files.  The
integration will be 'seamless'.  A Fireworkz 'shell' containing both
Wordz and Resultz will behave as one package accepting both Wordz and
Resultz commands and having sub menus from both packages totally
integrated.

If you add Recordz to your Fireworkz 'shell' at a later date then you
will still have one Fireworkz package but the range of commands (and
sub menus) will increase.  The 'shell' philosophy of Fireworkz will
allow you to 'mix and match' to tailor your version of Fireworkz to
your own requirements.  Other 'units' may be added later.


The ZLine Discs

Although there is more than one Z package we believe that most of the
purchasers of Fireworkz have already decided that they will buy the
full set.  We believe that, amongst the subscribers to ZLine, the
proportion of our subscribers who are interested in the complete set
will be much higher than for those who do not subscribe to ZLine.
Because this is our view, we have decided that we will not split ZLine
into a WordzLine, ResultzLine, etc, etc.  However, even if you buy only
one of the packages, such as Resultz, then we will make sure that you
can read all the articles on the ZLine discs and I'm sure that you'll
find enough on the ZLine discs to make your annual subscription worth
while.


Contributions

Please write in and let me know what you think of this disc, write in
with your problems, write in with your Hints & Tips, write in with your
criticisms of PipeLine, PipeDream, Fireworkz and ZLine!  I would prefer
anything longer than a few lines to be on disc with a worked example.
That way you can save giving a complicated and wordy description, there
will be no doubt as to exactly what you mean, and, with your permission
(of course), I can make the problem and its solution, or your extended
example, available to others on disc more easily than I could do
otherwise.  If your contribution is published then you get a free copy
of that disc or, as is more often the case, if you have paid in advance
then we refund the disc price.